Stringed musical instrument



Aug. 7, 1928.

H. M. LENTZ STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed July 15, 27

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Patented Aug. 7,1928,

" HERKAN LENTZ, or RENVILLE, MINNESOTA.

" g stmrnenn nusrcnr INSTRUMENT.

Application filed July 15,"i927. Serial No. 206,045.

i This invention .relates to stringed musical instruments and more particularly to a novelty instrument of the violin type.

-It is a well known fact that various articles, while "intendedifor specific uses, possess the quality of resonance and, when subjected to vibration, will give off musical tones, and, not infrequently, such articles are employed in novelty orchestras, for the purpose of amusement as well as for the production of musical tones. I have taken advantage of the fact that the tines of a pitchfork are highly resonant, in producing, in combination with other elements, the .musical instrument embodying the invention, and therefore the invention contemplates a musical instrument of the novelty type which will possess a remarkable tone quality.

lVhile the accompanying drawing and the description which is to follow, constitute a disclosure of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of what is claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the musical instrument embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view in detail taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The musical instrument embodying the invention is of the violin type and, so far as tone effects and identity of component parts is'concerned, is somewhat similar to a bass vioi or violin cello, and the instrument comprises a sound box which is indicated bythe numeral 1 and which is of approximately hollow cubical form, the front, rear, and side walls of the box, indicated respectively by the numerals'2, 3 and 4, being preferably of wood and of a kind of wood possessing resonance, the top and bottom of the sound box, indicated respectively by the numerals 5 and 6,. being preferably of metal. The front wall 2 of the box is formed substantially at itsv middle with an opening into which is fitted thesmall end of an amplifying shell 7 which is of frusto-conical form. I

The neck of the instrument is indicated by the numeral 8 and, in accordance with the invention, is in fact the handle of a pitchfork, a ferrule 9 of the usual form being secured to the lower end of the said handle or neck and being provided with the usual ingrelation to one another and which, in

- the present invention, constitutes resonant arms. As, is-well known, these tines, being of steel, are resilient and therefore resonant. In connecting the arms with the sound box 1, the arms are disposed with their outwardly curved sides, or in other words, the sides which are to the rear in the ordinary use of a pitchfork, in position resting at an intermediate point, as at 11, against the rear wall 4 of the sound box 1, attaching members 12 being secured to the said rear wall of the sound box and being formed to accommodate the said arms. a

The numeral 13 indicates a key head of the ordinary construction in which are mounted the string tensioning and tuning keys 14 which are likewise of the ordinary type. The head 13 is secured at the upper end of the neck or handle Sand at the upper.

end of a finger board15 which is secured to the forward side of the neck-or in other words that side which is presented toward the sound box 1. A bridge 16 is disposed againstthe forward side of the neck '8, and a tail piece 17 is secured to the said forward side of the neck immediately below the bridge 16, and strings 18 are connected to tines 10 which extend therefrom in branch- 1 the tail piece and stretched over the bridge and in spaced relation .to the forward side of the finger board 15 and connected to respective ones of the keys 1d. For this purpose violin or violin cello strings may be employed and the strings are tunedin the same manner as the strings of a violin or violin cello. The ordinary bow is employed in playing the instrument embodyin the invention, and it has been found, by actual trial that the instrument will give forth very mellow, soft and pleasing tones.

Having thus described'the invention, what Iclaimis: i i 1. A stringed musical instrument comprising a sound box, a neck, resonant arms extending from the neck and connected to a wall of the sound box, a bridge upon the neck, a tail piece upon the neck, and keys at the upper end of the neck, and strings connected to the keys and to the tail piece and strung over the bridge.

2. A stringed musical instrument compris- 7 ing a sound box, a neck, resonant arms extending from the neck in relatively laterally bowed relation to one another and connected to a wall of the sound box, a bridgeupon the neck, a tail piece upon the neck, keys at 4. -A-stringedmusical instrument compris- 15 ing a substantially hollow, cubical sound box, the box having an opening in its front rwall, a conical sound shell surroundin the upper end of the neck, and strlngs connected to the keys and to the tail strung over the bridge. 7

3. A stringed musical instrument com piece and prising a sound box, a neck, resonant arms extending from the neck and forwardly curved and disposed and connected at their curved intermediate portions to a Wall ofthe sound box, a bridge upon the neck, a tail piece upon the neck, keys at the upper end of the neck and stringsconnected to the keys and to the tailpiece and strung over the bridge. 1 I

the opening and projecting from the wa l, a. neck, resonant arms extending from the neck and connected to the rear wall of the sound box, abridge upon the neck, a tail piece upon the neck, keys at. the upper end of'the neck, and strings connected to the keys and to the tail piece and'strung over the bridge. V

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. HERMAN M. LENTZ. 

